Man gets prison for Katrina home repair fraud

GULFPORT — A former Wiggins businessman has been sentenced to serve 12 years in prison for defrauding south Mississippi homeowners who had hired him to fix their properties after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.

Harrison County Circuit Judge John Gargiulo sentenced 53-year-old Charles Lynn Reeder earlier this week to a total of 15 years in prison, but suspended three of those years. Reeder pleaded guilty to charges that included home repair fraud.

The Sun Herald reports that Reeder’s victims included two elderly residents. He allegedly lied to the property owners about his qualifications and the work he performed through his company, ABC House Leveling and Home Maintenance.